St. Stephens

One of my favorite places is the relatively little known St. Stephens State Park, situated near the Tombigbee River and about an hour north of Mobile. It is literally in the middle of nowhere. You drive down a red dirt road a few miles, past tin roof houses and old cemeteries, and suddenly you come upon a 100-acre blue-green lake with a rusty crane in the middle. I am told that years ago the lake was a lime quarry until it flooded, creating a beautiful man-made lake. It is an oasis that few outside the area know about.



Masonic Lodge (1830) on the way to St. Stephens Park.

According to the park's website, the area of St. Stephens was first established as a Spanish fort in 1789 by Juan Vicente Folch, governor of Mobile. In 1803, the fort was taken over by American george Strother Gaines and functioned as a trading post between the Choctaws. Later, in 1817, St. Stephens served as Alabama's territorial capital for two years. At this time, the population increased astronomically, and the town saw its height of prominence. When the territorial capital was moved to Cahawba in 1819, the settlement began to dwindle. Due to the effects of the Civil War and a yellow fever epidemic, St. Stephens had virtually disappeared by 1833.



Lake with old crane.

Today, what is left of Old St. Stephens is enclosed in an historical park. It has all the usual park activities, like boating, camping, and fishing, but one unique and recently added feature is horseback riding! The park has several beautifully wooded trails perfect for exploring on horseback. You can also participate in digs with the Center for Archeological Studies of the University of South Alabama.



Native American bath carved from stone and fed by a spring.

For more information, visit the Old St. Stephens Park website, where you can browse a list of former residents, take a virtual tour of the cemetery, and view old excerpts from The Halcyon, St. Stephens weekly newspaper.



Advertisement from The Halcyon, 1819.

Welcome to my blog!

Hi! My name is Anna, and I live in Alabama. For those of you not from the state, I know what you're thinking... We're just a bunch of rednecks with no shoes or teeth. Well, that may be true for some natives of Alabama, but did you know that the first European settlers came to Mobile, AL in 1702? As such, Alabama is rich in history and culture; you've only to search for it.

This blog is an effort to provide a look into Alabama's past, specifically ghost towns. I first became interested in ghost towns as a child when my parents and I moved next door to Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort, AL. Located on the Tensaw river, the town of Blakeley is the oldest municipality in Baldwin County and one of the oldest towns in Alabama. Settled in 1814 by Josiah Blakeley, the short-lived town included "hotels, stores, churches, blacksmith shops, majestic homes, and the first Courthouse of present day Baldwin County,"according to the Blakeley Park website. Additionally, the town published "The Blakely Sun," one of Alabama's earliest newspapers. At one time, Blakeley's population rivaled that of Mobile, but, due to yellow fever and land speculation, there were fewer than 100 inhabitants by 1830.



A map of Blakeley, 1865.

During the Civil War, the territory was made into Fort Blakely [sic], where the last major battle was fought in 1865. Afterwards, the land was unused for over 100 years until it became a state park in 1981. Today, nothing of the old town of Blakeley exists, save what you can find with a metal detector. There is, however, a Confederate soldier cemetery on the 3800-acre property.



The Battle of Blakely, 1865.

Park activities include camping, fishing, bicycle riding, and horseback riding. There is also an annual Civil War reenactment, 4th of July fireworks celebration, and bluegrass festival.



Blakeley on the Tensaw River.